Preface
Some people are oppressed as children, others are from the wrong zip code, and then there is me.
I was a college student in a medium-size college in a borough of New York City. I met my first professor, and at the end of class one day, my cousin Vic asked him if he was a doctor. Professor D. said, “Yes!” He was a doctor of business administration, which was something that I did not know existed at the time. Right at that very moment, I wanted to become a doctor. Until then, I had not known that a person could be anything but a medical doctor. Naïve, I know, but what can you expect from an inner-city kid growing up with schoolyards and some small form of ponds, which were destined to be destroyed by the ongoing encroachment of condominium development in the neighborhood?
Another thing happened in that class while I was not aware that I was eventually on my way to Wall Street. While in class, the same Professor D. told the class that at least 50 percent of us were destined to work on Wall Street. That seed was planted and eventually grew.
After college, I worked my way up to an executive level on Wall Street. In that capacity, I earned my MBA and then my doctorate so that I can become a professor. Both degrees were paid for by the corporations that I worked at, so I immediately applied what I learned in the classroom to the workplace, and this helped me prosper.
Professor D., now also my friend and colleague, motivated me a great deal and left me with the desire to motivate and lead others. I love being able to be creative as a professor and leadership trainer to executives, and the short bursts of leadership from the podium when training or delivering a keynote presentation really energize me. I feel that I have an impact on people and that I am able to reach them deep down inside with my knowledge and skill of motivating people.
When you think about your career, remember what you loved as a child and then forget it. A child does not know the possibility of careers, but they do know how to dream. They only know what they are exposed to from the people around them. Ergo, limited experience, limited exposure, and limited dreams. Go with your passion and your authentic self. Discover what you were meant to be, and attempt to blend that with what you want to be. Never give up; do not feel that doing what you love will take too much time. Just put in the necessary effort necessary to reach your dream job. Run with the right people.
Sure, Professor D. influenced me a great deal and I hope that you can find a great mentor, but I had to continue to find mentors and people that I could learn from as I continued my journey as junior to senior executive. He was the seed, and I was the plant that continuously needed sun and water. Let this book be the seed that is planted inside you to motivate you to become the great leader that you are meant to be. With the six factors set forth in this book, you have the necessary tools in your toolbox for success—both personally and professionally.
I found my passion, and now it is time for you go out and find yours!
Let us look at some general ideas of motivation and how it relates to leading people.
The SIX FACTOR LEADERSHIP concept was coined and became a way to train executives not only on the art of motivation but, most importantly, on leading effectively while motivating followers.
Overview of Level-Up Leadership
In my search to find compelling examples of what can be accomplished when people work for and report to a great leader to help their organization, community, or institution, the components of leadership that are most effective stood out among others. This is not to say that there are not other factors of leadership that are not also important. My focus is on six factors that are essential for leadership success.
What are the six critical factors that determine the success in leading people? What are the core elements that made leaders become effective at their task to motivate staff and followers? There are, of course, a number of forces that affect the leading of people: task, follower readiness level, and leadership style.
I am convinced that the true leaders of today can find attributes in the SIX FACTORS that relate to them. I believe that the leadership strategies that enable managers to become great at what they do are a set of principles that, while seem very common, are not applied as often as they should be. The underlying ingredients of SIX FACTOR LEADERSHIP are expressed in these six factors that I have found to create, enhance, and continuously develop leaders.